Australian (ASX) Stock Market Forum

Electric cars?

Would you buy an electric car?

  • Already own one

    Votes: 10 5.1%
  • Yes - would definitely buy

    Votes: 43 21.9%
  • Yes - preferred over petrol car if price/power/convenience similar

    Votes: 78 39.8%
  • Maybe - preference for neither, only concerned with costs etc

    Votes: 37 18.9%
  • No - prefer petrol car even if electric car has same price, power and convenience

    Votes: 24 12.2%
  • No - would never buy one

    Votes: 14 7.1%

  • Total voters
    196
Do we know how much one costs?
Might be tad out of my price point range.
mick
The second link goes to the BMW website.
Frankly if you have ask the price you can't afford it.;)

On the other hand you don't have to worry about flats or someone putting a shot in the tires.The whole BMW spiel is worth reading if only to get an idea of how thoroughly they work at protecting the precious cargo these little tanks carry.

20-inch light-alloy wheels with exclusive PAX tyres.

The new BMW i7 Protection and new BMW 7 Series Protection are fitted with 20-inch light-alloy wheels, which represents a standout offering in their segments and enables the use of a particularly powerful braking system.

The model-specific light-alloy wheels in star-spoke design are fitted with tyres – supplied by Michelin in the dimensions 255-740 R510 – that have been specifically developed for the protection sedans. The large diameter of these tyres and the extremely high volume of air they hold compared with rivals enhance ride comfort, while the larger contact area benefits traction and driving stability. The PAX tyres have a runflat ring positioned on the wheel rim which allows the car to continue its journey at up to 80 km/h (50 mph) even in the event of a total loss of pressure.

 
Autonomous EV taxis are still having issues, but still soldiering on.

One of two self-driving car companies in San Francisco has cut its fleet in the city by 50% after robotaxis were involved in at at least three recent accidents—including a crash with a fire truck en route to an emergency—marking the latest setback in a rollout of autonomous vehicles that has been marred with problems.
Self-driving car company Cruise on Friday agreed to take half its robotaxis off the streets of San Francisco after a passenger was injured in a crash with a fire truck, which one firefighter told CBS was caused because the car didn’t yield to the emergency vehicle in an intersection.

Greg Dietrerich, Cruise’s general manager in San Francisco, defended the driverless car and said it “almost immediately” identified the fire truck as it came into view, identified the siren “as soon as it was distinguishable from the background noise” and blamed the specific intersection—and the surrounding buildings blocking the view for “humans and AVs alike”—for the crash.

Though Cruise has had the highest number of high-profile San Francisco problems in recent weeks, the second company operating driverless cars in the city—Waymo, owned by Google parent company, Alphabet Inc.—has had more crashes reported nationwide. Between July 2021 and July 2023, Waymo reported 150 crashes to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration compared to Cruise’s 78. In May, a Waymo car killed a small dog in San Francisco while in autonomous mode with a test driver in the front seat. The company called the crash unavoidable and said the car correctly identified the dog but “was not able to avoid contact.” Waymo operates in Phoenix and San Francisco, and says it’s “ramping up” in Los Angeles County and Austin. Waymo says it deploys around 100 cars at any given time in San Francisco. Cruise has driverless cars in San Francisco, Austin and Phoenix.
 
Another new Chinese entrant in the E.V space.
From the article:
Xpeng – a Chinese electric-car start-up with plans to expand to right-hand-drive markets – has launched the G6 electric SUV in its home market.
The G6 is the fifth model from the Guangzhou-based electric-vehicle manufacturer – which recently signed a deal with Volkswagen to co-develop electric cars for China – following the G3i SUV, P7 and P5 sedans, and larger G9 SUV
The body structure of the G6 benefits from integrated front and rear aluminium cast elements claimed to result in a higher level of rigidity, while the electrical system features an 800-volt architecture that enables DC fast charging at up to 480kW.

The G6 is available in single-motor, rear-wheel-drive form – generating outputs of 218kW and 440Nm – or a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive flagship model with 358kW and 660Nm.
Buyers of the G6 have the choice between 66kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) or 87.5kWh lithium-ion batteries.
 
View attachment 161537
Saw these in town today as we were stuck in traffic.
Cupra is part of the Seat group from Spain. 55k entry price.
mick

With VW underpinnings.

Not only is it Cupra’s first electric vehicle as it treads down a path to become 100 per cent electric by 2030, but it’s also the Volkswagen Group’s first attainable electric vehicle. It’s built on the same MEB electric platform that underpins the Volkswagen ID.3, a similarly sized electric hatchback, which is also set to make its way to Australia at a later date.

1693262872418.png

 
In an interesting piece of news, it seems that despite a huge uptake of Electric Vehicles in Norway, the use of fossil fuels has barely declined.
From Oil Price

Is Norway's Love For EVs Enough To Put A Dent In Fuel Demand?​

By Rystad Energy - Aug 28, 2023, 9:00 AM CDT
  • Although EVs make up about 90% of all new car sales in Norway, fuel demand has only seen a 10% fall from 2017 to 2023, remaining relatively stable.
  • Research reveals that the modest decline in road fuel is due to increased fuel usage by heavy-duty vehicles, negating the impact of EVs on fuel demand.
  • The shift to BEVs needs to extend to buses and trucks for a significant decrease in fuel consumption, raising questions for countries following Norway's lead in EV adoption.
Road fuel demand in Norway has remained relatively stable even with soaring electric vehicle (EV) adoption, raising questions about whether EVs really have a material impact on diesel and gasoline sales. Rystad Energy research and modeling has, however, uncovered the truth behind the persistent sales – electrifying heavy-duty vehicles, especially trucks, is essential to lowering overall fuel consumption.

EVs are often positioned as the key to decarbonizing transportation, but the latest data from the Norwegian government suggests otherwise. Electric cars have accounted for at least 80% of all passenger vehicle sales for the past three years. EVs – including plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV) – accounted for about 90% of all new car sales in 2023. More than 50% of passenger cars on the road in Oslo are electric, a threshold that BEVs alone will pass 50% in the next two years.

Such an aggressive growth in EV sales should lead to a dramatic fall in fuel demand. But that is yet to materialize, and sales figures from Statistics Norway (SSB) show diesel and gasoline demand has declined only modestly since 2017. In the first half of 2023, road fuel sales hovered around 62,000 barrels per day (bpd), a 10% fall from the 70,000 bpd sold between 2017 and 2019, well after the EV boom started. Current consumption is relatively stable between 60,000 and 70,000 bpd, and a precipitous drop is not forecast in the near term.

Our research – which goes beyond the numbers reported by SSB – tells a different story. Our model considers the official fuel sales, annual average mileage by vehicle type and car sales as reported by SSB. It converts this raw data into estimated diesel and gasoline demand, factoring in the efficiency of individual vehicles as of 2022. The upshot of this is a crystal-clear image that road fuel demand from passenger cars has declined rapidly since 2016, falling more than 20%, in line with the BEV market penetration.
Mick
 
Handy info - Fast Charging Vs. Slow Charging: Study Reveals Difference In Range Degradation

Recurrent Auto analyzed the data from over 12,500 Tesla vehicles in the United States.​

One of the thoughts that go through the mind of an EV owner has to do with the impact that DC fast charging will have on the vehicle’s high-voltage battery in the long run. In other words, how much will the battery degrade over time if fast charging is used predominantly?

Well, according to a recent study from Recurring Auto that analyzed charging data from over 12,500 Tesla vehicles in the United States, the rate of range degradation is statistically similar when compared to AC charging.

The company, which provides vehicle and battery analysis reports for EVs, compared cars that fast charge at least 90 percent of the time to cars that fast charge less than 10 percent of the time, and the results show little to no difference between the two charging methods.

The charts below show the percentage of the original range as shown on the cars’ dashboards – in this case, the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y – and the number of days.

Choosing between DC over AC isn’t the only thing that can affect the battery in the long run, with factors such as extreme temperatures and very low or very high states of charge also playing a big role in the big scheme of things.

AA1fUW7V.jpg

Tesla Model Y DC vs. AC charging battery degradation chart

AA1fVatp.jpg

Tesla Model 3 DC vs. AC charging battery degradation chart
However, as Recurrent’s results show, the robust thermal, voltage, and battery management systems that EV makers have invested in do protect their batteries from damage with routine fast charger use.

To help the battery last as long as possible, using the preconditioning feature is of utmost importance, both in extreme heat and in extreme cold, as this brings the cells to the optimal temperature before plugging in the charging connector. Another tip is to avoid fast charging at very low states or very high states of charge, as battery resistance is higher at these levels and puts additional stress on the battery.

Another study from 2020 found that battery-powered vehicles, including EVs and PHEVs, encountered battery degradation anywhere from zero percent to 4.1 percent in the first year, with the best-performing model being the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV and the worst being the 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
 
tesla have opened another ~30 Supercharger sites to non Tesla EVs in Australia today.

They're hardly cheap at $0.78c/kWh, but at least it's another option for charging 1f642.png

Just download the Tesla app, create an account, and see the "Charge your Non-Tesla" button.

NEW SOUTH WALES​

  • Bathurst
  • Berry
  • Blaxland
  • Campbelltown
  • Dubbo
  • Hollydene
  • Knockrow
  • Narooma
  • Tamworth
  • Tenterfield
  • Wollongong

VICTORIA​

  • Bendigo
  • Box Hill
  • Cann River
  • Colac
  • Geelong
  • Moe
  • Mornington
  • Shepparton
  • Warrnambool
  • Yea

QUEENSLAND​

  • Gympie
  • Rochedale
  • Toowoomba

WESTERN AUSTRALIA​

  • Margaret River
  • Williams

SOUTH AUSTRALIA​

  • Clare
  • Mount Gambier
  • Tailem Bend

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY​

  • Tuggeranong

Given the cost of eletricity, Tesla is making a good markup here.
Maybe they should forgt about making cars and just install chargers.
Mick
 
tesla have opened another ~30 Supercharger sites to non Tesla EVs in Australia today.

They're hardly cheap at $0.78c/kWh, but at least it's another option for charging View attachment 161629

Just download the Tesla app, create an account, and see the "Charge your Non-Tesla" button.

NEW SOUTH WALES​

  • Bathurst
  • Berry
  • Blaxland
  • Campbelltown
  • Dubbo
  • Hollydene
  • Knockrow
  • Narooma
  • Tamworth
  • Tenterfield
  • Wollongong

VICTORIA​

  • Bendigo
  • Box Hill
  • Cann River
  • Colac
  • Geelong
  • Moe
  • Mornington
  • Shepparton
  • Warrnambool
  • Yea

QUEENSLAND​

  • Gympie
  • Rochedale
  • Toowoomba

WESTERN AUSTRALIA​

  • Margaret River
  • Williams

SOUTH AUSTRALIA​

  • Clare
  • Mount Gambier
  • Tailem Bend

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY​

  • Tuggeranong

Given the cost of eletricity, Tesla is making a good markup here.
Maybe they should forgt about making cars and just install chargers.
Mick
Wow. They appear to be thinking at a much higher level than the other automobile manufacturers.
 
Audi E-Tron, an almost $200,000 car is having issues in Europe.

A friend of mine, Polish Aussie, shared a video and explained it to me. The electric motors are failing at about 50,000km, the motors are not rebuildable. A couple of guys scored a failed unit and pulled it apart to assess the reason & cause. Symptom was an extremely noisy bearing; cause was a $1.00 seal failing and allowing minute quantity of coolant into the bearing chamber. They also found that the main power wires in the motor have crimped terminals, instead of soldered. And they showed signs of overheating.

  • 5:50 Power wire
  • 8:35 Bearing failure
  • 12:20 corrosion
  • 20:00 Seal
  • 21:30 Explanation
  • 30:30 Noise while operating.
 
New Tesla model 3:

Driving range has been lifted across the board due to improved aerodynamics, and a reduction in the drag coefficient from 0.23Cd to 0.219Cd, making it one of the world's most aerodynamically-efficient production cars – reportedly contributing to energy efficiency of just 13.2kWh/100km for the base model.
The Tesla Australia website lists claims driving range has increased from 491km to 513km, and the Long Range from 602km to 629km. The outgoing Performance quoted 547km.
Exterior changes for the Model 3 are considerable, led by a new front end with slimmer matrix LED headlights inspired by the Roadster sports-car concept, and a simpler front bumper with a reshaped air intake.
There are new 18-inch Photon and 19-inch Nova alloy wheel designs, and the rear end has been revised with lower-profile LED tail-lights – which adopt a 'C' shape – plus a restyled lower bumper with a Model S-like diffuser insert.
According to reports, Tesla quotes a 30 per cent reduction in wind noise, 25 per cent reduction in suspension noise, and 20 per cent reduction in road noise thanks to acoustic glass on the rear windows (in addition to the front windows and windscreen, as fitted before), and more sound insulation.
Tesla has also reportedly reworked the suspension with new springs and dampers, which are said to combine with new tyres for a softer ride.
 
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